


Marriage of Convenience

by Julesmonster



Category: Bones (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-31
Updated: 2013-07-31
Packaged: 2017-12-21 23:47:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 22,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/906384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Julesmonster/pseuds/Julesmonster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Booth's great aunt dies and leaves him an inheritance. The only problem is he has to be married for a year to claim it. When no one else steps up, only Zack is left to help. Slash Booth/Zack. Very mild M rating.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
> 
> A/N: I'm not sure how I missed moving this one over here when I first set up this account, but I did. So, here is another Zack/Booth story for your enjoyment. Hopefully it's better late than never! Jules

**Part One**

"Explain this again," Bones said, giving Seeley Booth her full attention for the first time since he entered the lab. In fact, everyone in the lab was now paying very close attention to Booth. "Your great aunt died?"

"My great, great aunt Esmeralda, my great grandmother's youngest sister, died," Booth said slowly and clearly. "She was a mean old biddy and she hated me, so I never expected that she would leave me anything in her will. I mean, why would she? Every time I went to visit her, all she did was drone on and on about how I should have married Rebecca before Parker was born. Oh, and then she would start on Parker's name… And she hated my Pops…"

"Booth, I think you've gotten off topic," Cam told him.

"Off topic," Booth said and took a calming breath. He was still reeling from the meeting with the lawyers who had explained all of this to him. "Right. Okay. So Aunt Esmie died and her lawyer calls me up to come to the reading of the will. The old bat left me a fortune, but only if I get married before the end of next month and stay married for at least a year. I think she thought if I lasted that long, I'd stay married for good."

"When you say fortune, what exactly does that mean?" Angela asked curiously.

Booth sighed, "The brownstone in Capitol Hill, and a cabin by a private lake in West Virginia. Plus about ten million in cash and various investments."

There was absolute silence until Jack spoke. "Aunt Esmie… as in Esmeralda Worthington, sole heiress to the 'Worthington Steel' Worthingtons?"

Booth nodded. "Yeah, that's her."

Jack whistled. "There's a lot more than ten million in her estate. She was worth billions."

"I know," Booth said. "Like I said, she never liked me or my branch of the family. My great grandmother was the black sheep… she ran off with one of the steel workers in the factory, got pregnant and… Well, we all know how that cliché goes. Aunt Esmie kept in touch with all of us out of duty, and I went to visit a couple times a year because Pops said I should. She was an old lady and mean as spit, but she was family, so I went. I never thought she would actually leave me anything. She's got kids and grandkids… They're getting the bulk of the estate."

"But you need to get married to get your portion," Cam clarified.

"Yeah," Booth said. "I'd just say forget the whole thing, but… that money would do a lot for Parker. He could go to whatever college he wanted. I could send him to private school. We could spend summer vacations at the cabin and he could see something besides concrete and steel. He deserves to have the things I never had as a kid. And Pops could go to a better retirement home than the shithole he's in now."

"I'd do it sweetie, but I just got married," Angela said.

"You'd marry him?" Jack asked with no small measure of jealousy.

Angela smiled and kissed her husband. "Just as a favor."

"I'm out too," Cam said. "I'm not married yet, but James looks like he's gearing up to ask. I can't be married to you and accept another man's proposal."

Everyone turned their eyes to Dr. Temperance Brennan. "What? Oh! Me? Really? I don't know… I have that research trip to Borneo coming up. Will the lawyers mind if I spend half of that year in another country?"

Booth groaned. "Yeah, they'll mind. I'm so screwed. I can just kiss Parker's college fund goodbye."

"Does the will specify gender?" Zack wondered.

Booth turned narrowed eyes to the youngest squint. "It just says I have to be married. I'm not sure Aunt Esmie even knew that there were any other possibilities."

"So you could marry a man," Zack said.

"But I'm not gay," Booth told him. "And none of my friends are gay."

"If it is a marriage of convenience, in name only, then it should not matter if you are gay or not," Zack said with a shrug. "It only seems logical that you would look into other options if one course of action is blocked."

"Are you volunteering?" Booth asked sardonically.

The Jeffersonian scientists all looked on in fascination as if watching a tennis match… or a car wreck. Zack spluttered for a moment but then jutted his chin out and took a deep breath. Jack groaned. Great. The kid waits until now to get a spine. Everyone saw it coming, but no one was prepared when it came.

"Yes, I guess I am," Zack said.

Booth looked floored. "Really?"

Zack looked equally shocked now that he had agreed. "Um… yes."

"But why?" Booth wanted to know.

Zack blinked several times before formulating a reply. "Because you are a friend and friends help each other. Isn't that right?" He looked at the others for confirmation, but they all looked as confused as Booth. "Angela, you said you would do it if you could. Dr. Brennan and Dr. Saroyan, you implied the same thing. Well, I can help, so I will."

Everyone's attention turned back to Booth. His face was pinched and he paced the length of the platform as he tried to weigh his options. If he said no, there was little chance that he would be able to find someone he could trust to do this before time ran out—which meant that Parker's college fund would be miniscule and he'd be lucky to pay for community college. On the other hand, he could say yes and Parker could go to any college he wanted when the time came—but he'd be married to the squintiest squint of them all. For a year.

He stopped and looked at Zack. He took a deep breath and said, "Let's do it."

**BZBZBZBZBZ**

Booth took Zack to dinner after work to discuss the details of their arrangement. If Zack hadn't known better, he might have thought it was a date. Booth picked him up from the office and drove them to a small, but romantic restaurant in Georgetown. Once at the table, they made small talk—which was rather difficult for Zack, really—and looked over the menu. Zack had butterflies in his stomach but wasn't really sure why.

Once they had ordered, Booth took a large gulp of his beer and said, "So. I guess there's some stuff we need to discuss." Zack nodded and sipped his water. "Right. Well, let's start with the requirements spelled out in the will."

"We have to be married for a year," Zack said.

Booth nodded. "There's more. We have to live together in the brownstone for the duration and sleep in the same bed. The lawyers will send a representative to do surprise inspections to make sure that we are complying."

Zack frowned. "The same bed?"

Booth nodded. "They can even come when we aren't home. See why I was a little reluctant? Anyway, the way it's all spelled out we have to attempt to have a normal marriage. They can't require sex, but they do require pretty much everything else. We have to wear rings and can't cheat. God…a year celibate!"

Zack shrugged. "That part doesn't bother me. I don't date much anyway. I am more concerned about whether or not you snore."

Booth stared at Zack and wasn't sure if he should be amused or horrified. "Right. I've never had anyone complain."

"Then I shall not concern myself further," Zack said agreeably.

"You're sure you want to do this?" Booth asked again.

"There is no reason for me not to help you," Zack said. "Unless you do not want my assistance."

Booth shook his head. "No. I mean, I'm glad you're willing to help. It's going to make a huge difference in Parker's life."

"You could retire from the FBI," Zack said.

Booth frowned. "I suppose. I don't think I would do that, though. I like my work."

"I like my work as well," Zack said affably. "Since receiving both of my doctorates, I have had several offers for jobs leading my own research team or teaching, but I cannot imagine working anywhere but the Jeffersonian."

"You'd rather be Bones' assistant?" Booth asked.

"Dr. Brennan is very easy to work for," Zack explained. "And she gives me a lot of leeway to conduct my own research. I am currently studying the wear on tooth enamel as a means of identifying the location where a person lived. With the help of Dr. Hodgins, I have narrowed it down to geographic regions based upon the water and food resources available. I hope to be able to narrow our findings to specific communities."

"I thought you guys could already tell that stuff," Booth said.

"We can, to a degree," Zack said. "Right now, we use the level of wear on a tooth to indicate the general type of society the skeleton is from. For example, dessert societies have the most wear because of the sand. We can then narrow the findings based upon the aging of the bones and through carbon dating. But we cannot be exact. I am compiling a list of criteria that will give not only the location but the time period based upon a single test. A single tooth, for that matter. Of course, it is still in the theoretical stages. I have not yet been able to test my theories on any skeletons outside of the Jeffersonian. It will take years to compile all of the data and present a working theory."

Booth wasn't really sure what he could say about that. "Um… that's great, I guess." Zack deflated a little and sat back in his chair. Booth sighed. He hadn't meant to hurt the squint's feelings. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be an ass. I think it's great that you get so excited about your work. I just don't understand most of what you guys really do."

Zack thought about that and then nodded. "I do not understand what you do either. I know that you talk to suspects and track down criminals, but how you make sense of the chaos that is human interaction is a complete mystery to me."

"It would be," Booth said with a chuckle, but surprisingly his tone was affectionate, rather than demeaning. "Well, if you are still willing to go through with this, we should probably talk about the wedding and some of the other details."

"I assumed the wedding would be a trip to the courthouse," Zack said.

"I wish," Booth sighed. "Aunt Esmie had some very odd ideas about marriage and weddings. There doesn't have to be love or sex, but appearances must be kept. So a real wedding with our friends in attendance is necessary." Booth paused and winced. "We have to put an announcement of our engagement in the paper, too."

Zack's eyes widened. "I suppose that rules out keeping the marriage a secret. Will you have difficulties at work over me being a man, Agent Booth?"

"It's Seeley," Booth corrected and then paused to consider what Zack had asked. He really hadn't thought about it before. "Maybe from a few Neanderthals, but most of the bureau is pretty accepting. There are other guys in same sex marriages and partnerships. What about you?"

Zack shrugged. "Most of the people at the Jeffersonian either believe I am gay or asexual if they even know who I am. This will not change anything."

Their food arrived and they paused for a few minutes to enjoy their meals. "This is really quite good," Zack told Booth.

Booth chuckled. "I take you to a fancy restaurant and you order macaroni and cheese."

"It is very fancy macaroni and cheese," Zack replied with a grin. It really was pretty far from Zack's normal boxed fare. The cavatappi pasta was covered in a cream sauce and tossed with asiago and cheddar cheese, prosciutto and chunks of spicy marinated chicken breast. That was then put into a small casserole dish, covered with a mixture of breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese and baked.

Booth reached over and stole a bite. "Okay, yeah. Really fancy mac and cheese." He went back to his cider braised pork loin and cut a small bite. He held his fork out for Zack. "Here. Try this."

Zack opened his mouth and accepted the bite. "Mmm. That is good. Perhaps if I return to this establishment, I will order that."

"You should try new things sometimes," Booth told him.

"It is easier to stick to the things I know," Zack told him. "If I order something I do not know and do not like it, it is a waste of food and money, not to mention time."

"But then you never learn what else is out there," Booth told him. "Sometimes you have to take a few risks. But the rewards can be worth it."

Zack nodded. "This marriage is a risk. For both of us."

"But hopefully one worth taking," Booth agreed. The serious turn didn't sit well with Booth, so he returned to their earlier teasing. "I'll tell you what. Anytime we go out to eat together, you can try whatever I have to see if you like it. That way, you expand your palate without wasting anything."

"That sounds logical," Zack agreed. "Thank you…Seeley."

Booth smiled and nodded. He was surprised at how well this was going so far. "Well. I guess we should get to the wedding, then."

**BZBZBZBZBZ**

"Tell me everything," Angela demanded as soon as Zack walked through the door the next morning.

"Everything about what?" Zack asked with a confused frown.

"Last night?" Angela said as if the answer should be obvious. "Booth took you to dinner? Hello? Seeley Booth who would just as soon shoot you as look at you? The man you, for some god-only-knows reason, agreed to marry yesterday? What happened when you left here?"

The frown deepened but Zack answered even as he walked to hang up his jacket in his lab. "We went to dinner. We talked about the requirements of the will. We began planning the wedding and then he took me home."

"Details Zack! I need details!" Angela practically shouted in her frustration.

"Have I missed anything?" Jack Hodgins asked as he came up behind them.

"No," Angela said and gave Zack a long look. "We're waiting."

Zack sighed and said, "We went to Frangelica's in Georgetown. I ordered some fancy macaroni and cheese dish. Agent Booth ordered the cider braised pork loin. It was very good by the way."

"The macaroni and cheese?" Hodgins asked.

"Yes, but I was referring to the pork loin," Zack said.

Angela and Jack shared a look before Angela asked, "Booth let you taste his food?"

Zack shrugged. "He tried my meal and then offered me a bite of his. We talked about taking risks and expanding my palate. He offered to allow me to try his food all the time so I could learn more about what I like and dislike."

"Zack, buddy, how can you sound so nonchalant?" Hodgins wondered. "This is huge!"

"I do not understand," Zack said.

"Men like Booth don't just share their food," Angela said. "It implies a certain level of… intimacy."

Zack was cleaning out a test tube at the sink but stopped to look back at his friends. "We are to be married. That implies an even greater intimacy, does it not?"

"If it was real, it would," Angela agreed.

"The requirements of the will are very stringent," Zack told them as he went back to cleaning the test tubes with a small brush. "Except for the sexual aspects, our marriage will be real. Now if you will excuse me, I need to get started on the bone density tests for the skeletons from the Andes dig."

Having been summarily dismissed, Angela and Jack left but they both wore frowns of concern on their faces. What exactly had Zack agreed to?


	2. Part Two

**Part Two**

Booth tried not to dwell on the reality of his arrangement with Zack, afraid of the panic that could very well set in, and instead set to work the very next morning attempting to arrange the wedding. It was a lot harder than he had anticipated: he had to get a marriage license, book a place for the ceremony and reception, get a minister to officiate…. There were so many details he hadn't thought about. That's when he started calling wedding planners. After getting one who would work with such short notice, he had arranged to pick Zack up from work again so that they could meet with her. The good thing about the requirements of the will was that the estate was footing the bill for the whole affair, so he didn't have to worry about that. Considering they only had five weeks to get the whole thing planned and done, they would need the influence that a big checkbook could lend them.

Booth put in for a few days off before and a week after the day they had decided for the wedding, telling his supervisor that he was getting married. Tom had been very surprised, but congratulated him. By the end of the day, it seemed the entire building knew that he was getting married; every other person he passed in the halls stopped to offer their well-wishes. Only a few people gave him funny looks when they found out his fiancé was a man. In all, it could have been worse.

By the time he picked up Zack, however, the stresses of the day were wearing on him.

"You look tired," Zack said.

"I put in for time off for the wedding and so now everyone at work knows," Booth said. "Everyone was good about it, but it made for a long day with people I barely know stopping in to offer their congratulations and advice."

"Angela and Jack have been looking at me peculiarly all day," Zack told Booth. "They asked about what we did last night. I told them, and they looked at me oddly for the rest of the day. It was very disconcerting."

Booth had to wonder what exactly Zack had told them to make them react that way. "Maybe you shouldn't give them too many details about our marriage," Booth suggested carefully. "If it makes them uneasy, then it would be better for everyone to keep our private life private."

"Perhaps you are correct," Zack said. "I do not wish to have them staring at me with concern for the next year."

"Okay then," Booth sighed in relief. "The wedding planner seemed very competent when I talked to her on the phone. She said we'll have to start making decisions right away though, since we waited so late to plan."

"She does not know the circumstances?" Zack asked.

"No," Booth said. "No one can really know about our arrangement. I mean, I know the team knows, but they also know not to talk about it. It's all about appearances."

"Should I invite my family," Zack asked. "I can't decide if I should or not. If I do, my mother will be very disappointed when we get divorced. If I do not, and she discovers that I got married without her, she will be hurt."

"Would she keep our arrangement to herself if you told her?" Booth asked.

Zack thought about that. "If I asked her to, I do believe she would keep it quiet."

"Then tell her and let her decide if your family should come or not," Booth said. He pulled into the parking lot next to the wedding planner's office and climbed out of the Suburban. Zack scrambled out after him and hurried around the vehicle.

"I'll call her," Zack told him. He was surprised when Booth grabbed his hand and interlaced their fingers.

"We're engaged," Booth said in explanation.

"Right."

They entered the small but elegant office and looked around. The reception area was set up more like a living room than a waiting room. There were photographs of couples at their weddings all around the room and Booth glanced at them while waiting nervously for someone to appear.

"Is there anyone here?" Zack asked in a whisper.

"I think so," Booth replied, just as quietly. "Otherwise the door would be locked. Besides, we have an appointment."

Just then a very cheery looking blond woman stepped out from the back room. "Gentlemen, I'm sorry to keep you waiting. I was just on the phone with Mr. Jenson from the Botanical Gardens. They have had a last minute cancellation. If you are interested, we can arrange for your nuptials to take place there. They have a small but lovely banquet facility overlooking the formal gardens and we can have the ceremony in the cherry orchard; the trees should be in bloom in time for the ceremony. If it rains, we can always bring the ceremony into one of the many greenhouses."

Booth and Zack looked at each other but Booth was the one who spoke. "That sounds… great."

"I'm sorry," she smiled. "I'm getting ahead of myself. I was just so excited at our luck. I'm Jenna. And you must be Mr. Booth and Mr. Addy."

"Seeley," Booth offered. "And this is Zack."

They all shook hands and soon were seated in the quaint sitting area, Zack and Booth sharing the small sofa. Jenna pulled several large picture albums from a side table and set them on the coffee table between them.

"With so little preparation time, I am afraid our options are rather limited as to caterers, florist, bakers, and what-have-you." Jenna sounded more regretful than Booth felt was necessary. "However, I have been in touch with a few of the people I work closely with and have been able to pull a few strings. But first things first," Jenna opened one of the albums and handed it to Booth. "You'll need to select your invitations tonight. As it is, we'll need to get a rush put on the order and I'll need your invitation list right away so we can get these in the mail as soon as possible."

"We haven't…"

"Zack's not sure whether his family will want to come or not," Booth said. "We'll work that out and get back to you with a list by Thursday."

"You said on the phone that it would be a small wedding," Jenna said. "Do you know approximately how many people you can expect?"

"I have a rather large family," Zack said. "If they come, it will likely double the number of attendees."

"Without his family, I'd say thirty to forty," Booth said. "With his family, seventy to eighty."

"I will speak with my mother right away," Zack told the woman. For some reason he felt like he had let her down because they didn't have an accurate count. It was disconcerting.

"Alright, take a look at the invitations and see if anything jumps out at you," Jenna told them.

Booth started flipping through the album, holding it so that they both could see. Of necessity, however, Zack ended up sitting very close and leaning on Booth in a way that was less unpleasant than Booth might have expected.

"How about this one?" Zack asked, pointing to a card with doves and bells on it.

"Something simpler," Booth said. He found one that only had a plain band of gold around the edges and pointed. "Something like this?"

"Too plain," Zack said.

They flipped a few more pages and then they both said, "That one." They looked at each other and smiled. It was a tall, rectangular card made of thick rough-textured ecru paper with tan lettering on the bottom half and a simple modern representation of a branch of pink cherry blossoms. It was simple and elegant without being too feminine and it fit with their wedding venue.

"Alright, I'll order 100 of those," Jenna said. "I'll also order the response, reception and enclosure cards. Would you like to include the thank you cards and the place cards as well?"

They looked at each other and shrugged. "Sure."

"We'll wait to order the matching program for the ceremony," Jenna said. "But I'll have the printer set some aside for us." She wrote down the information and then took that book back and handed them another book. "I have gotten Colorful Cakes Designs to agree to take our order for a cake—they are one of the best in the area—but we need to select a style and flavor. For 80 guests, I would suggest at least three tiers, but if it is less than that… well, we'll make that decision when we know more."

Zack got that odd feeling again. He really needed to call his mother.

"I like chocolate cake," Zack offered.

"They do a wonderful chocolate with hazelnut cream," Jenna gushed. "There is a list of flavors on the inside cover of the book."

They read through the list and Zack was drawn to the chocolate hazelnut and cherry mocha, but Booth seemed to favor a more traditional white cake and was leaning towards the amoretto.

"We can order all three flavors," Jenna said. "If we do three tiers, each one can be a different flavor."

"But won't the icings be different?" Zack wondered.

Jenna smiled at him and he could sense a hint of condescension. "That's what fondant is for."

Zack looked at Booth for explanation. "They cover the cakes in some edible clay to make them smoother or something. The icing goes underneath."

"Okay," Zack said uncertainly. Once they began looking at the photos, however, he started to understand. These were some pretty intricate cake designs.

Booth got tired of looking and closed the book. "What about something that will match the blossom design on the cards? Just a simple branch of cherry blossoms on each layer?"

Jenna smiled. "I'm sure they can do that. Why don't I schedule an appointment with the owner and we can sample the flavors and discuss the design then?" When Booth and Zack agreed, she made another note on her pad and changed albums again. "This is the book from Frangelica's."

"They cater?" Zack asked excitedly.

"I take it you approve," Jenna said with a genuine smile. "They do cater and they have agreed to do your reception. We just need to decide a few things about the menu."

"The macaroni and cheese dish has to be part of the menu," Booth said and smiled down at Zack, who was practically bouncing in his seat with excitement. "And possibly the pork loin."

Jenna looked nonplused for a moment but then nodded. "Alright. Well, before we actually choose a menu, we need to decide whether you want a buffet or sit down service. Personally, I think the setting lends itself to a more casual affair, but you may disagree."

"A buffet sounds good," Booth said. "We didn't really want anything too formal."

"Good, then let's go through the choices for the buffet," Jenna said. And for the next twenty minutes they debated the merits of a carving station versus precut servings and rice versus potatoes. And of course, they had to have the macaroni and cheese dish.

"I assume you'll want an open bar?" Jenna asked. Booth nodded, though Zack shrugged. "We'll need to order champagne for the toasts, and some cases of wine as well. Do you have any preferences?"

"I don't drink," Zack offered.

"We don't have any particular preferences, so long as the wine tastes good," Booth said. "We will want non-alcoholic sparkling cider for Zack and my son Parker. And anyone else not drinking I suppose."

"I think I have a good idea what you are looking for with decorations," Jenna said. "I'll work with the florist to incorporate cherry blossoms into the table centerpieces and keep things fairly simple and elegant. Perhaps bring the rustic feel of the cards into the table cloths… While we're on the subject of flowers, however, I'll need to know about your witnesses to know whether to order bouquets or boutonnières and how many."

Booth leaned back and sighed. "Well, I guess I'll ask Bones."

"Excuse me, Bones?" Jenna asked.

"Dr. Temperance Brennan," Zack supplied. "She's my boss and his partner. And I'll ask Jack."

"So just one attendant each?" Jenna asked. "What about a flower girl or ring bearer?"

"Parker should be the ring bearer," Zack said and Booth smiled at him.

"If your family comes, one of your nieces could be the flower girl," Booth said.

Zack shook his head. "I'm not close with any of them. I wouldn't know which one to ask, and then the others would all get mad and it would be a mess."

"So just the ring bearer," Jenna said. "You'll need to shop for the rings, but if you need me to, I can arrange a trip to a jeweler."

"I'm sure we can handle that part," Booth said.

"You'll need to decide on whether you wish to have your wedding party in matching suits and dress," Jenna said. "If you want to order something to coordinate, we'll need to arrange a trip to a shop and arrange for fittings."

"We'll definitely need to be fitted for ours suits," Booth said. "But since it's just Hodgins and Bones, I think we can let them do their own thing, can't we?"

"I would suggest giving them direction as far as color goes," Jenna said. "Given your choices so far, I would suggest a tan suit for the gentleman, maybe in linen, and a pink and tan dress for the lady."

"Maybe we should go together with Jenna," Zack said uncertainly.

"Yeah," Booth sighed. "It'll make things easier I guess. And then Parker's outfit can match too."

"I'll arrange for the consultation this weekend," Jenna said. "I know the perfect shop. You'll need to arrange the final fittings with the tailor after that."

They went over music for the ceremony and music for the reception next. Then they discussed photographers and videographers. Since neither man was affiliated with a particular church, despite Booth's Catholic upbringing, Jenna said she would arrange for a Unitarian minister. They were less likely to object to a same sex marriage. Finally, they arranged to meet over the weekend to tour the gardens and do a tasting for the cake before they finalized their choice.

Once Booth had ushered Zack back to the car they both took a deep breath. "That was a lot more complicated than I anticipated," Zack said.

"I know," Booth agreed. "Which is why we hired a professional to take care of everything for us. Or almost everything. You hungry?"

"Very," Zack admitted. "I missed lunch today because I was in the middle of an experiment."

Booth frowned. "You shouldn't skip meals. We'll go get something to eat."

They went to a diner this time and talked about the many decisions that they had made that afternoon and the many that they still had to make. "We should get together tomorrow and make our invitation list up," Booth told Zack. "Will you have talked to your mom by then?"

"I'll call her when I get home," Zack said.

"We should look at rings this week too," Booth said. "If we need to order something special or have something engraved, we might need the extra time."

"We're meeting Jenna on Saturday," Zack said. "What about Sunday?"

"I have Parker on Sunday," Booth said. "But I suppose it would be a good time for the two of you to get to know each other. We could look for rings and then do something fun with Parker."

Zack was a little nervous about spending time with Booth's son. Parker had seemed very precocious on the few occasions Booth had brought him by the museum, but Zack wasn't good with children.

"Don't look so scared," Booth said. "He already likes you. He still plays with that robot you made all the time. You'll be fine."


	3. Part Three

**Part Three**

Zack called his mother that evening. Carol Addy was a little mystified as to why her son was marrying a man, even if it was just as a favor. Zack downplayed the significance of the event and reminded her how expensive it would be to fly everyone out on such short notice, and before long, she was agreeing that perhaps it was best if they skipped. She promised that they would come when he got married to someone he actually loved and then wished him luck.

That made their invitation list significantly smaller. Nevertheless, it was still a bit larger than they had originally estimated. Between friends and colleagues and Booth's family, they had almost ninety people. Some of them might not be able to come on short notice, but it would definitely be more than the thirty or forty they had estimated without Zack's family. Booth took the list with all the addresses to work with him on Thursday and emailed it to Jenna.

Angela and Jack had both hovered over Zack on Wednesday, but didn't actually approach him about Booth again until Thursday at lunch.

"You've spent the last three evenings with Booth," Hodgins said. "You can't convince us that there isn't anything to tell."

Zack stopped eating his microwaved macaroni and cheese and looked at his friends. "Booth and I discussed you and Angela and the way you have been looking at me oddly. We decided that our private life should be private."

"You decided…?" Angela was floored. Was this the same kid who had come to them for sex advice not so long ago?

"He's got a point, Ange," Jack told his wife. "We don't exactly go around discussing our private business with everyone."

"But that's different," Angela said. "Our marriage is real."

"So is ours," Zack told her.

"Are you saying that you and Booth are sleeping together?" Angela asked.

"No, what I am saying is that it isn't your business if we are or are not sleeping together," Zack said matter-of-factly. "I do not ask if you and Jack are sleeping together."

"You just assume that we are," Angela pointed out.

"Perhaps," Zack conceded. "And you may assume that Booth and I are not if you wish. The point is that I should not have to confirm or deny your suspicions. If there is a problem and I need your advice, I shall ask for it. If you wish to discuss the wedding, I would be happy to do so. I will not, however, discuss my relationship with Booth."

"Good lord, Zack Man," Jack said looking between his wife and his friend with concern. "You picked a hell of a time to get assertive. First it gets you engaged and now… Do you have a death wish?"

"No," Angela said with a sigh. "He's right. I'm sorry Zack. It's none of my business. I do reserve the right to make sure you are being treated okay and that Booth isn't taking advantage of you. But… considering how you have been standing up for yourself of late, I doubt that will be a problem."

Zack gave her a shy smile. "I have been rather fierce lately, haven't I?"

"Yes you have," Jack agreed, smiling now that he was sure no one was going to get hurt. "Way to go!"

"So tell us about the wedding," Angela said.

"Oh, the wedding," Zack said recalling that he had a task to perform. "Jack, I have been meaning to ask if you will be my witness, my best man."

Jack looked moved by the request. "Of course I will."

"Good," Zack said. "We have an appointment to pick out clothes tomorrow evening. I hope that you are free. Angela, you are welcome to come along. I believe that Dr. Brennan will be Agent Booth's witness, so she will be there as well."

"I'd love to come," Angela said with a bright smile. Then talk turned to other things and Zack forgot about the tension as he went back to work.

**BZBZBZBZBZ**

Thursday night was the first night all week that Zack and Booth were not together since agreeing to get married. It was odd, but both men felt the separation. How could they have gone from barely speaking to missing each other in less than a week?

Friday they dragged Bones and Hodgins to the tailor's shop with Angela tagging along. Jenna had arranged the meeting and met them there to discuss what would be best for their ceremony.

"I found the perfect dress for you," Jenna told Bones, who looked a bit annoyed by the perky person. However, she allowed Jenna to pull her into a dressing room with Angela following closely and minutes later Bones emerged in the dress. "Oh. It's perfect."

Bones looked at Booth. "I like it."

Booth looked her over and nodded. It was a simple silk sheath dress in pink with a cowl neck and flutter sleeves. It had a tan sash that tied around the waste that accented Bones' figure nicely. Jenna had added an ivory shawl too complete the look.

"Isn't she hot?" Angela asked from the dressing room doorway.

"That works." Booth said. Across the room, however, Zack was frowning and he wasn't sure why. In fact, his stomach felt a little tight with tension and he suddenly felt very… unhappy. Then Booth turned away from her and walked back over to Zack and gave him a smile and held his hand and suddenly those feelings disappeared as quickly as they had come.

"Good," Jenna said with a smile. "We can work from her dress and find what you boys will be wearing."

They ended up picking light weight, loose fitting tan linen pants for all of them with matching four button linen vests. Booth and Zack also got matching linen jackets in a lighter shade. It was all very casual and easy but Booth almost revolted when Jenna showed him the shirts she wanted them to wear.

"It's just a little stripe of pink," she cajoled. In the end, Jack agreed to wear the pink striped shirt and Booth and Zack would wear plain white shirts. None of them would wear ties. "I'll just have the printer correct the proof to read semi-casual dress."

**BZBZBZBZBZ**

By Saturday, Booth was already getting tired of Jenna's ever present perkiness. They went to the bakery first and sampled all the flavors that they had discussed as well as a couple Jenna suggested they try. In the end, they chose the amaretto, the chocolate hazelnut and the lemon chiffon cake that they both loved once they tasted it. The owner of the bakery also agreed that they could match the design from their invitation and so that was settled.

The trip to the Botanical Gardens went well. They were able to arrange for their ceremony to take place in the cherry orchard and there was even a small gazebo where they could exchange their vows. The banquet area was close enough that the cherry blossoms would still be visible through the reception and the formal gardens would be blooming with tulips and other spring flowers. The events manager told them that they planted flowers in shades of pink and white to bloom there while the cherry blossoms were in bloom, so even the gardens would be coordinated.

Finally Sunday rolled around and Booth picked Zack up early in the day. Parker was already in the back of the SUV and Booth quickly made introductions.

"Dad says you play with bones all day," Parker said. "That's really cool. And he also said you built my robot. That's cool too. Maybe you could show me how to build a robot, too. I watched a movie about robots on TV once and they were trying to take over the world and this one guy had to fight them and stop them from killing everyone. That was really cool too, but Mom said I was too young to watch that kind of movie."

"It does sound… cool," Zack said. He didn't have to bother saying more, because Parker was off again, rambling in the way only a five year old can, telling them about another movie he saw and how he and his best friend argued whether it was realistic or not and… Well, he went on pretty much the entire way from Zack's apartment over Hodgins' garage to the jewelers.

"Why are we here, Dad?" Parker wondered even as he climbed over the seat and followed Booth out the driver's door.

"I told you that we have to buy rings for Zack and me," Booth said. He waited for Zack to join them on the sidewalk before walking to the front door and holding it for both Zack and Parker.

"Can I help you gentlemen?" A very proper looking man in a suit approached them.

Parker spoke up for all of them. "My dad's getting married to this guy. He's Zack. He can build robots and plays with dead people every day."

"I… see," the man said. He looked up at Booth and Zack hoping that he had misheard at least a portion of that statement.

"I am a forensic anthropologist," Zack explained. "And I mainly work with skeletons, though they are dead people so he was correct about that. I build robots only as a hobby."

"Yes, well," the man didn't looking very reassured.

"We need wedding bands," Booth finally cut in. "Can you show us where those might be?"

"Certainly." The salesman seemed to be relieved to be on familiar footing. "Right this way."

Soon they were looking over a display of bands that ranged from a simple circle of gold, to diamond encrusted rings with etchings and milgrain details.

"I do not think gold would be a wise choice," Zack said. "Some of the chemicals I work with react with gold or the metals they mix with gold to make it less malleable."

"So platinum," Booth said. "I don't think we need anything as flashy as diamonds."

"I'd like something a little nicer than a plain band, though," Zack said.

"What about that one?" Parker asked pointing to a platinum ring on the black velvet covered tray.

Booth picked up the ring in question. It was an intricately yet loosely woven circle of vines in polished platinum bordered on either edge by a band of brushed finish platinum. The ring was heavy enough that Booth wouldn't feel like it was too feminine, but it was fine enough that it wouldn't look odd on Zack's much smaller hand.

"Try this on," Booth said and handed the ring to Zack.

"This is nice," Zack said. "It's a little big, but I like the feel and the design."

"Can we get it engraved on the edge, rather than the inside?" Booth asked. The edge of the ring was flat and actually wider than either of the borders inside and would make a better place for engraving.

"Certainly," the man said. "Let's just get your sizes and then we can fill out the paperwork for the engraving."

Ten minutes later, they were done and on their way to Chuck E. Cheese for lunch. Zack had never been before, but he was quite fascinated by the concept of winning tickets to buy prizes. He and Parker had fun trying all the different games where you could win tickets while Booth watched in amusement and occasionally joined in. Afterward they went to the park and while Parker played on the jungle gym, Booth and Zack sat on a bench and watched.

"See, I told you that you had nothing to worry about," Booth said. "Parker likes you."

"I think he is the first child who does," Zack said.

"You can be pretty likable," Booth said,

Zack laughed at that. "This is coming from you? Until this week, you didn't even like to speak to me."

"I'm not as smart as Parker, I guess," Booth said quietly. "It took me longer to figure it out. That doesn't make it any less true." He took Zack's hand and they sat in contented silence as they watched Parker play.

**BZBZBZBZBZ**

The weeks that followed were of a similar pattern. Booth and Zack would spend most of their evenings together, sometimes working on the wedding or packing up their apartments for the upcoming move to the brownstone, but just as often merely having dinner and talking, getting to know each other. It had surprised Booth how much he actually liked Zack. He had expected to have to tolerate his presence, but instead he found himself looking forward to the times when they were together. Zack was smart, obviously, but he also had a wicked sense of humor at times, if you were paying attention. He was still naïve about so many things, but Booth found his innocence endearing rather than annoying. All in all, he thought he could have done worse for a temporary spouse.

The other part of his friendship with Zack that surprised Booth was the way he found himself wanting to constantly touch the younger man. It started with holding his hand, but he had begun wrapping his arm around Zack when they walked together or even just watched TV. He knew they needed to maintain a certain appearance for the will, but now he found he couldn't stop himself even if no one else was around to see them. He had never been like that with another man. Hell, he'd rarely been like that with a woman.

They moved into the brownstone a week before the wedding. Since the house was fully furnished, most of Booth's furniture went into storage—as he was giving up his lease—and Zack was able to just leave his in the apartment above Jack's garage. All they really needed to bring with them were their personal effects.

"This isn't a brownstone, it's a mansion," Zack said when they pulled up in front of the house for the first time. It was a huge four story Victorian row-house complete with a circular tower in front. It was at least twice the width of most brownstones Zack had seen. It had a large front garden that was kept immaculately. All of the houses on that block were just as grandiose, but Zack had never imagined living anywhere quite like this.

"Aunt Esmie was rich," Booth reminded him. "Of course her house is huge."

"Right," Zack said. They walked up to the front door and Booth pulled out the key the lawyers had given him. They stepped into the foyer and Zack was amazed once again. He had been expecting Victorian furnishing or at the very least antiques. Instead, it was modern and contemporary. From his vantage point he could see a sitting room and a formal dining room on the left, what looked to be a library with sliding pocket doors on the right, with a grand staircase and hallway that led to the kitchen straight ahead. Everything was painted in bold colors and had sleek and stylish furniture

"Wow," Booth said. "She changed it again. Aunt Esmie liked to redecorate. It was a hobby, I guess. In my lifetime, I have seen this house go through at least five different styles of furnishings. I have to say, I like this one a lot better than the last."

"What was the last?" Zack wondered.

"French colonial," Booth said. "At least I think that's what she told me. It just looked fussy to me. This is nicer. Clean and simple."

They toured the house quickly before the movers arrived so they would know how to direct them. The public living spaces were on the first floor; besides rooms Zack could see from the foyer, there was also a small office off of the library that had access to the huge modern kitchen which took up most of the back of the house and a powder room. There was a small mud room in the back which led to a deck that overlooked the large walled garden and the garage that could only be access through the back alley. The second floor had the private living spaces; made up of mostly the master suite, the floor also had a game room, a bedroom decorated for a little boy, a small guest bathroom and an exercise room. The third floor had four more bedrooms and two more guest baths as well as a small sitting area on the landing.

"She knew she was dying," Booth said as he walked through the child's room and touched a few of the toys there. "I think she decorated this place for me. She would never need a workout room or a game room. This room is perfect for Parker and it's right near our suite…"

"Perhaps she didn't hate you as you believed," Zack said.

Booth looked adrift for a moment, but the doorbell rang letting them know that the movers had arrived and there was no time for dwelling on what ifs.


	4. Part Four

**Part Four**

After a day of directing movers, heavy lifting and unpacking, both Zack and Booth were exhausted. Just getting the bed made seemed more than they could handle. But once it was made and they had both showered and pulled on boxers to wear to bed, they were left facing each other on opposite sides of the bed. What had seemed like a simple requirement suddenly loomed and made both men nervous and uncertain.

"I'm really tired," Zack said.

"Me too," Booth said. "We should probably hit the sack." Still neither man moved to get into the bed. Finally, Booth huffed. "This is ridiculous. We said that it was no big deal, and it isn't."

"Right," Zack agreed. "But I've never shared a bed with anyone before."

Booth looked startled by that admission. "No one?"

Zack shook his head. "The three girls I have had intercourse with never wanted me to stay. It was a fact that did not bode well for a potential long-term relationship."

"I guess not," Booth said. "Alright. On the count of three we both get into the bed. No more…hesitating. Okay?"

"Okay," Zack said as he took a deep breath.

"One, two, three," Booth said and then he sat and Zack sat. They looked at each other again. "We should probably lie down."

"That would be more conducive to rest," Zack said. He nodded once and then shifted under the covers while Booth turned the light out and moved to do the same.

"That wasn't so bad," Booth said once they were both under the blankets and staring up at the dark ceiling. "Now we just have to get comfortable. How do you usually sleep?"

"On my side," Zack said. He shifted so that he was lying on his side facing Booth. "That's better."

Booth continued to lie on his back. "I prefer to sleep on my back."

"Okay."

There was silence in the dark room for several minutes, but neither man could sleep yet.

"This isn't working," Zack said. "I'm too nervous to move in case I disturb you or touch you."

"I know," Booth sighed. "Well, hell." They were quiet again for a while. Eventually Booth groaned in frustration and said, "Come here."

"What?"

"Come here," Booth repeated and reached out to pull the other man closer to him. He got Zack situated; his smaller body aligned with Booth's, his head resting on the shoulder of the arm Booth had wrapped him. "How's that?'

Zack took a deep breath and his senses were filled with Booth: the touch, the smell, the sight… and if he turned his head just a little, he could even taste… But that was a silly thought. "This is better," Zack said sleepily. He was already feeling his exhaustion take over as his body and mind finally relaxed.

"Much," Booth said on a yawn. "Night."

"G'night."

**BZBZBZBZBZ**

Morning broke and Booth came awake slowly. It took him a minute or two to realize that he was sharing his bed with someone. It took another moment to remember that someone was Zack. For some reason, that thought filled him with satisfaction. Zack was still in his arms, only his leg had moved in the night so that his top leg was now hooked over Booth's. That brought the smaller man's groin in contact with Booth's hip. It also brought Zack's knee very close to Booths groin. That should have bothered him, but it didn't. It was like the hand-holding and touching thing. It just felt right for some reason. He probably should examine that, but he really wasn't a huge fan of introspection; it inevitably brought out things he'd rather not face.

"Mmm," Zack moaned softly as he began to stir to wakefulness. He arched his back and stretched like a cat and Booth was fascinated. Then Zack opened his eyes and blinked up at him. "Good morning."

"Sleep well?" Booth asked quietly, reluctant to break the tranquility of the moment.

"Surprisingly yes," Zack said. "I imagined that sharing a bed would be more difficult."

"It can be," Booth said with a shrug. "Sometimes it's impossible. And sometimes you get lucky."

They were still curled up together, neither one ready to move from their comfortable position. And they really didn't have to. Rebecca and her boyfriend had taken Parker to visit her family for the weekend, so there would be no Sunday at the park or the zoo or whatever. And the unpacking could wait a little while. Just as Zack was about to drift off again, Booth sighed and sat up.

"You stay here," Booth said. "I'm going to get food and see if Aunt Esmie had the Sunday paper delivered."

"Why?" Zack wondered.

Booth grinned. "One of the best ways to spend a lazy Sunday morning is to eat breakfast in bed and read the paper with your…well, with someone."

"Oh," Zack said. He watched Booth leave and wondered what he was about to say when he stopped. Lover? But Zack wasn't Booth's lover. He wasn't even his spouse yet. But a week from now he would be. They were even taking a honeymoon of sorts. Booth had insisted that they take a week and at the very least go to the cabin in West Virginia. Zack was a little apprehensive about spending a week in the woods, but Booth said he would be fine and got a gleam in his eyes that said he knew something that Zack didn't.

Zack could tell that Angela had wanted to ask why they were going on a honeymoon. Even he knew that honeymoons were traditionally an excuse to have sex for a week or two without interruptions. He was proud of his friends for not asking so he told them it was because they were both entitled to marriage leave as one of their benefits and they would be silly not to take the time off when it was available. It wasn't the whole truth, but it was enough.

The whole truth had a lot to do with moments like last night, when they had frozen before they could bring themselves to climb into bed together. In some ways they had fallen into a natural rhythm and fit together well. Booth was always touching him when they were together, and Zack found he really liked being touched by Booth. But there were still times when the fact that they barely knew each other, despite having worked on the same team for three years, was brought into the spotlight. With the lawyers on the hunt for some lapse in the parts they were required to play, they couldn't afford to have a moment like that in public. So the honeymoon would give them time alone to just really get to know each other and figure out how the next year would go.

It would also be a nice break after the hectic weeks of preparing for the wedding and the move.

"Alright, I found croissants and fruit salad in the kitchen and the paper on the front step," Booth said with a grin as he carried a loaded tray into the room and set it on the bed before carefully climbing back into bed. "We're all set for a lazy morning in bed."

Zack smiled and thought he might actually like this getting-married stuff.

**BZBZBZBZBZ**

"Why am I having my bachelor party with two women and neither of you are strippers?" Booth complained over his fifth…no sixth beer, on Thursday night. That was on top of the celebratory shots they had all done upon arriving at their favorite bar. Booth was definitely starting to feel the effects of the alcohol.

"It's not our fault that your two closest friends happen to be women," Cam said. She was feeling a bit tipsy herself.

"At least Zack has Jack," Booth said. He laughed. "Zack and Jack. They rhyme!"

"Zack may have Jack, but he also has Angela," Bones pointed out. "Besides, how much trouble can they get into? Zack doesn't even drink."

"That's right," Booth said with a smile. "He's so innocent. It's kinda cute."

Cam and Bones exchanged a look and ordered another round.

**BZBZBZBZBZ**

Somewhere on the other side of the city, Jack and Angela were attempting to keep a very drunk Zack from falling on his face.

"Whose idea was it to give him the shots of vodka?" Angela asked.

"Yours," Jack muttered. "Three shots for toasts and he's… I guess this is why he doesn't drink."

"I'm getting married!" Zack shouted to the women across the parking lot who were heading into the bar they had just left. He turned to Jack. "Hey! Aren't you supposed to take me to a strip club or something?"

"Do you _want_ to go to a strip club?" Jack asked warily.

Zack shrugged. "Never been before."

Angela looked at her husband with a smile. "He's never been before Hodgy."

"Ange…"

"Pleeeease," Zack cajoled. "I'm getting married and this is supposed to be my…what is it?"

"Your bachelor party," Jack said with a roll of his eyes. "Fine, but no more booze for you, mister."

"I'm going to see naked women," Zack told Angela.

"I know," Angela said with a smile. "Me too."

**BZBZBZBZBZ**

Hodgins and Angela pulled up to the brownstone just as Bones and Cam were helping Booth out of a cab. The three of them looked to be quite drunk as they stumbled up the steps.

"Hey!" Zack yelled. He was still flying high. When they had gotten to the strip club, Zack had told the waitress that it was his bachelor party and everyone wanted to buy him drinks. Jack had tried to keep him from drinking them, but he suspected that one or two might have slipped through while his eyes were glued to a particularly voluptuous blond.

The three on the steps turned to see them and Booth automatically stumbled back down the stairs towards Zack. "Hey! You're drunk!"

Zack nodded with a smile. "And I saw strippers."

Booth turned back to Cam and Bones with a drunken pout. "See! They took him to see strippers!"

"Everyone bought me drinks too," Zack said. "There was a blue one and a pink one and one that looked like a rainbow!"

"He got rainbow drinks!" Booth complained. Cam and Bones both rolled their eyes while Angela and Jack laughed.

"Alright, let's herd these two inside so we can go home," Jack said.

The six people made their way inside and the sober ones made sure that Booth and Zack made it to their room while Bones and Cam went back out to their cab. The entire way up two flights of stairs Zack regaled Booth with tales of his adventure while Booth complained about the lack of strippers at his party.

Jack sent Angela to get ibuprophen and water for each of them while he helped them pull off the outer layer of their clothes and crawl into bed. They were still muttering to each other, but Jack could tell that they were both almost passed out. Angela brought back the water and pain meds and sat them on both night stands and then they turned to leave. Just before they turned the light out, however, they saw Booth and Zack scoot closer to each other. Booth wrapped his arm around Zack and Zack lay with one leg thrown over Booth and his head nestled on Booth's shoulder. They looked like they were quite familiar with the position.

Jack shut the light out and they left the pair to sleep off their drunks.

"How much of that do you think was alcohol induced?" Angela wondered as Jack locked the front door behind them.

"They looked pretty comfortable," Jack said. "Do you think…?"

Angela shrugged. "Who knows? I doubt that either one of them would know if they did. Zack's completely clueless, and Booth tends to ignore things that are uncomfortable to face."

Jack sighed. "And we can't just go asking Zack after his big speech about private matters."

"We'll just have to wait and watch," Angela said. "In the meantime, that blonde at the club made me really hot. Take me home and fuck me?"

"You don't have to ask me twice," Jack said with a grin.


	5. Part Five

**Part Five**

The day of the wedding dawned sunny and warm and promised to be a beautiful day for a garden ceremony. Booth and Zack had fully recovered from their embarrassing bachelor adventures the day before and had looked quite sheepish when they arrived at the rehearsal Friday evening. Of course, everyone had to tease them at least a little, but with Parker present, their teasing was limited. The rehearsal went without a hitch—no pun intended—and they all went out for dinner afterward. Booth and Zack used the opportunity to give Bones and Jack their thank you gifts and it was a fun evening for everyone. Without strippers or alcohol for anyone.

So when the sun broke through the curtains in their room the next morning, Booth and Zack were both well rested and ready to get the show on the road. They had planned an afternoon wedding, but the wedding party was to arrive a couple hours early to have the pictures taken and out of the way so they could enjoy the party afterward with their friends and colleagues. After the pictures, they would have a light lunch ordered in and then it would be just about time for the ceremony.

"You ready for this?" Booth asked, still holding Zack against his side as they relaxed for a few minutes before they allowed the chaos of the day to pull them in.

"I think so," Zack said. "I don't particularly like being the focus of attention."

"Me neither," Booth said. "But it's just one afternoon. I'm sure we can survive."

"Right," Zack said. "Does that mean we have to get up?"

Booth chuckled and Zack could feel the vibrations on his cheek. "I think we could probably lie here for a little while longer."

**BZBZBZBZBZ**

Booth and Zack were both grateful for those moments of respite as the day kicked into high gear. It seemed like everyone had demands and questions for them. The photographer had them pose in a dozen places with various people. Jenna had several last minute adjustments that needed to be approved. They had a quick lunch while Jenna fussed over the wrinkles that were already forming in their linen pants, and then they were separated.

Bones took Booth off to one room while Jack and Angela took Zack to another. "I do not see why we cannot simply wait together," Zack protested.

"It's bad luck," Angela told him. She had a steamer and was currently steaming the wrinkles out of his pants while he stood behind a partition.

"That is just superstition," Zack said. "Besides, if that were truly a concern, we would not have spent all morning together."

"It's tradition," Jack said. "Just go with it. It makes life easier for everyone."

"Fine," Zack said. "But I wish to register my protest."

"Duly noted," Angela said and handed him back his pants.

"What do you think Seeley is doing?" Zack asked.

"As soon as I get the steamer to Bones, he'll be getting his pants steamed," Angela said and then left the room.

"How are you holding up?" Jack asked once they were alone.

Zack took a deep breath. "I am nervous. I told Seeley I do not like to be the center of attention. This will not be a pleasant experience."

"So it's just the thought of standing up in front of a few people that's making you nervous," Jack asked. "It has nothing to do with the fact that you're tying your life to Booth's?"

"I…" Zack paused to consider that. "I am not nervous about tying my life to his."

"I know you both think this is a temporary thing," Jack said, "but even if you get a divorce in a year, even if you were to never see each other again, you will always be tied to each other because he will always be your husband even if he's an ex-husband. And honestly Zack, do you think you can keep…" He saw Zack's look of absolute confusion and sighed. "You know what? It doesn't matter. Go out there, take a chance, and see what happens. Happiness or heartbreak, I'm with you buddy."

"Thank you," Zack said. "I have been surprisingly content these past weeks."

"I know," Jack said with a small grin. "And feisty. Maybe Booth is a good influence on you."

Zack nodded. "Perhaps." He looked longingly at the sofa in the room. "Can I sit?"

"Only if you take off your pants," Jack said with a laugh. Soon the old friends were both sitting with their pants laid neatly over the back of the chair and laughing about the absurdity of life.

**BZBZBZBZBZ**

"I'll need your pants," Bones told Booth. The agent rolled his eyes but stepped behind the screen and handed her his pants.

"You know," Booth said. "I'm surprised that a bunch of scientists are buying into the whole wedding superstition thing. There really is no reason Zack and I couldn't have waited together."

"I realize that," Bones said. "Perhaps Jack and I wanted a chance to speak to the two of you privately before the ceremony."

"Perhaps?" Booth asked.

"Okay," Bones admitted. "I definitely wanted to speak to you before the ceremony."

"About what?" Booth asked.

Bones bit her bottom lip and tried to think of a way to say what she wanted to say. "You know I care for you. And that I care for Zack as well. I consider you both to be good friends. I am… concerned … that perhaps you are not aware of the potential consequences of this marriage."

Booth sighed. "I'm not going to hurt the squint if that's what's worrying you. I kind of like him."

"I know," Bones said. "It is that which concerns me. What we all believed to be a simple marriage of convenience has somehow morphed into something completely different…"

"I know this wedding seems like a lot," Booth said, totally misunderstanding where Bones was attempting to go. "But the will is pretty specific about the wedding and marriage—we have to at least maintain the appearances of a real marriage. Zack understands that. And like I said, we've been getting along great lately, so there's really no reason to worry."

Bones sighed and gave up the cause. "Well, I will worry. But only because I care about you both. But I will also do what I can to make this as easy on the two of you as I am able. If you need anything, even just to talk, you can come to me. Even in Borneo, you can call me."

"Thanks Bones," Booth said and he had a sincere smile on his face. "Now can I have my pants back?"

**BZBZBZBZBZ**

The one good thing about having a fairly traditional wedding ceremony was the fact that Booth and Zack didn't have to memorize any vows; they just repeated what the minister said. The hard part about traditional vows, however, was the fact that they kept using the word love. It made Booth squirm, even as he repeated the words. It wasn't until he was sliding the ring on Zack's finger that he felt truly at ease. They had done it. And when the minister pronounced them married, Booth didn't think twice about leaning forward and kissing Zack.

It was a gentle kiss, totally chaste, and yet it sparked something in each of them, something like electricity. It was like a switch had been flipped and the current was suddenly flowing through an electric magnet. They were drawn to each other and pulling apart from that simple contact seemed almost impossible. It wasn't until the flash of the camera and the applause of the people around them broke through that they were somehow able to pull away. Even so, their eyes remained locked for long seconds before Bones nudged them to make their way back up the aisle.

Overhead, the cherry blossoms were caught in a slight breeze and rained petals down on all of them like confetti and filled their senses with the sweet fragrance. Booth knew without a doubt that he would never see a cherry tree in bloom, would never smell their wonderful scent, without thinking of Zack and this day. It was imbedded in his mind like the day Parker was born or the day his Pops had come to take him and Jared home with him. It was one of those days that define a person.

**BZBZBZBZBZ**

"You cannot tell me that it wasn't weird to see them actually kiss," Jack said to his wife. They had snuck away to a private corner to talk during the reception.

"Yes, it was a bit disconcerting," Angela admitted. "But mostly because it looked so…natural. I mean like they had kissed a thousand times before.'

"After seeing them in bed the other night, I'm not sure what to think," Jack said. "Have you said anything to Brennan?"

"I did," Angela admitted. "She said she was going to ask Booth about it before the wedding, but then she told me a little bit ago that she totally chickened out."

"So we're back to the wait and see scenario," Jack said.

"Looks that way," Angela agreed.

Jack looked at Angela. "You know I'm not upset because they're both guys, right?"

"I know," Angela said with a smile. "It's because it's Booth and Zack. Booth with any man would be surprising, but Booth with Zack? And Zack… I always kind of suspected that maybe his problems in the bedroom had more to do with who his partners were than any lack of skill. But again, sweet little Zacky with big bad Booth? It boggles the mind."

"Booth said the lawyers will probably ask to talk with us soon," Jack said. "At this point, I think I can be totally honest when I say that they seem very happy together."

"I know," Angela said. They were watching as Booth coaxed a very reluctant, but laughing Zack onto the dance floor. When Booth wrapped his arms around Zack and lifted him up only to swing him around and sway to the music, it was a very sweet and romantic moment. "I wonder if the photographer or video guy caught that on film."

**BZBZBZBZBZ**

"I would like to make a toast," Jack said gaining the attention of everyone present. "As Zack's best friend, I have seen him change and grow over the years. Lately, however, I have seen him become more confident, more at ease and happier than I have ever seen him. I would have to say that Booth has been the catalyst in those changes. So I thank you, and I wish you both a world of happiness."

Parker stood up and loudly asked his father, "Do I get to make a toast?"

Rebecca tried to shush, him, but Zack and Booth both smiled. "Sure Buddy, if you want to," Booth said.

"Okay," Parker said. He led up his glass of sparkling cider, just like Zack's, and said, "I have the best Dad in the whole world. And I'm glad that Zack's here, 'cause he makes Daddy happy and he builds really cool robots."

The rest of the crowd chuckled and drank to that. Then Bones stood. "Well, I guess, as the token female at the table I should say something filled with feminine wit and charm. Unfortunately, that just isn't who I am. So, instead, I will just say, I love you both very much and I hope you will take care of each other."

"We don't have to say anything do we?' Zack asked quietly, but several of those closest to them heard and laughed.

"No, we don't have to say anything," Booth said. "But we do need to go cut the cake. Jenna's waving us over there." As they walked, Booth explained exactly what they were supposed to do.

The cake had turned out better than they could have hoped and Zack thought it was almost a shame to cut into it. It was actually four tiers instead of three, but Jenna had explained that it was traditional to take the top tier home and freeze it, and then they would have it to celebrate their first anniversary. They took the knife together and cut a small slice out of one layer. It was the amaretto. Booth took a small piece of the cake and fed it to Zack. Then Zack took a piece and fed it to Booth. Finally they kissed again, and again they were locked together by the magnetic attraction that refused to release them.

Jenna interrupted this time, telling them that the caterer needed to get to the cake to start cutting it up and serving it.

"I want a slice of each," Zack told her. "Can I do that?"

Jenna smiled. "Honey, it's your day. You can have whatever you want."

Booth laughed at the ridiculously happy smile that brought to Zack's face. "All that over cake?"

"It's very good cake," Zack said. "And we have to ask if there is any of the macaroni and cheese or pork loin left over so we can take that to the cabin with us."

"You're going to eat that all week, aren't you?" Booth asked. He didn't wait for Zack to answer. Instead, he pulled Zack back out onto the dance floor and held him in his arms as they swayed to the music.

"My cake," Zack reminded Booth, but it was a halfhearted attempt to get away. In fact, his head was resting comfortably on Booth's shoulder.

"Your cake will be there when we get back," Booth promised. He closed his eyes and held Zack just a little tighter.


	6. Part Six

**Part Six**

Booth and Zack spent their wedding night at the brownstone, but left first thing the next morning for the cabin. It was only a three hour drive from Washington to the private lake just north of Petersburg West Virginia, near Canaan Valley State Park. As they got further and further from civilization, Zack started to get nervous.

"Relax," Booth told him as he turned the Suburban down a private road. "It's not as bad you seem to think."

"Okay," Zack said. "But I'm not certain how you can be sure how bad I think it is."

Booth laughed and pointed. "Look." They were just coming around a bend in the single lane road and a house was coming into view. "See what I mean?"

"That…is not a cabin," Zack said.

"It's made of logs," Booth said. "It's a cabin."

"But it's…"

"Huge?" Booth finished for him. "Yeah. Aunt Esmie liked luxuries, even when it came to roughing it." He pulled up to a stop in the parking area beside the house and brought Zack around to the SUV to see the view.

The log cabin was situated on a hill overlooking a large glassy lake. From where they stood, you could see the mountains and trees and nothing else but clear blue skies.

"It's even better at night with the stars all lit up and no city lights to interfere," Booth said. "Come on. Let's go inside."

They went to the front of the cabin and entered into a foyer that had a wall of river rock blocking the view of the rest of the house. Once around that wall, however, the great room opened up like a cathedral. The natural timber frame and walls gave the space a warm glow and the comfortable rustic furnishings made it feel inviting. There was a fireplace along one wall that looked to be taller than Zack made from more river rock and a huge half timber mantle. The living area, the dining area, and the kitchen all opened up onto each other, but the thing that made the whole room spectacular was the wall of windows overlooking the lake and mountains.

It was obvious right away that someone had been in to clean and air out the cabin. The smell of pine cleaner and the fresh vase of wildflowers on the dining table gave that away. Zack noticed a bowl of fruit on the kitchen counter and assumed that who ever had cleaned had shopped as well. It was like the brownstone. Zack had yet to see anyone come or go, but there were always fresh linens and the house was always clean, and the food seemed to just replenish as if by magic. Zack assumed that there was a housekeeper or something, but he had yet to meet him or her.

"Let's go check out the rest of the house," Booth said. He led Zack down a side hall that had a set of stairs going up to a second floor and a set leading down to the lower level. They stayed on the first floor, however, and Booth showed him the library towards the front of the cabin. The rest of that floor was taken up by the master suite. With another wall of windows leading out to the deck, it was almost as grand as the great room.

They went upstairs next. Above the master suite and library there were three smaller suites, each with its own private bath. To the right of the stairs, above the foyer, there was a loft area that overlooked the great room.

Downstairs had the game room, a media room, and a family room as well as another bedroom suite, another bathroom and the utility room. To the rear of the house was a walk-out patio covered by the deck above.

"We can go down to the lake and check out the boathouse after lunch if you'd like," Booth said. "My family used to come up here for a week every summer. Aunt Esmie told me often that no boy should live life without knowing what a tree looked like. She was never here when we were, but mom always said it was a very nice thing for her to do for us. Then mom died and dad didn't bring us for a couple years. But Pops made sure that we got to come again once we lived with him."

"Did it always look like this?" Zack wondered.

"Actually, no," Booth said. "This cabin was built about ten years ago. I was still in the Army then. The old cabin was just as big, but was not in great shape. It also wasn't winterized. This cabin is. And it has air conditioning. The old cabin didn't."

They went back up to the kitchen and Zack sat at the breakfast bar as Booth pulled out the makings for sandwiches. As he watched Booth work, he finally asked, "So who prepared all this? And for that matter, who keeps filling the refrigerator at home?"

Booth laughed. "Aunt Esmie had a full staff at the brownstone at one time, but when she went into the nursing facility, the staff was cut back to a single couple. They live in the cellar apartment and Greg takes care of the gardening and any repairs while Adrienne cleans and does the shopping. She'll even cook if we request something. But they only work during the week and only during the days."

"We have both been home on Thursday and Friday of this past week," Zack pointed out. "If they work weekdays, I should have seen them."

Booth chuckled. "You didn't see them because they were up here getting the cabin ready."

"Oh."

"I'll make sure that you get to meet them when we go back to DC," Booth said. He handed Zack a plate with a cheese sandwich and corn chips, exactly what he liked.

"Thank you," Zack murmured.

Booth set his own plate next to Zack's and then went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water for Zack and poured himself a glass of milk. Then he joined Zack at the counter and they enjoyed their lunch in a companionable silence.

**BZBZBZBZBZ**

They did explore the boathouse that afternoon, and Booth convinced Zack to go for a ride on the motorboat they found there. Zack bundled up in a life vest, but Booth kept the speed low until he felt more comfortable and after a while Zack even asked if he could steer for a while. It was still too chilly to swim, despite the warm spell they had for the past few days, so Booth soon took them back and they had dinner by the fire in the great room.

The days passed and Zack slowly became more comfortable with being out in the middle of nowhere. Booth even got him to take a hike in the woods and they spent one morning out on the lake fishing. Booth gave Zack cooking lessons and Zack helped Booth build a kite out of paper and sticks that actually flew, much to Booth's surprise. And several evenings were spent enjoying the hot tub on the deck right outside their bedroom.

That was where they spent the evening before they were scheduled to head back to DC. Booth had turned off the lights inside and outside so that the only light was from the full moon overhead and the twinkling stars.

"This would be a really great place to stargaze," Zack said. "I could bring my telescope up here and I bet I could see all kinds of things I can't see from Hodgins' property."

"When we bring Parker up here this summer," Booth suggested. "We'll take a couple weeks off and spend them up here. I mean, if that's okay with you."

"Sounds nice," Zack said. "I can bring a real kite, too. And it will be warm enough to swim then."

"If we come in July, Petersburg has a big strawberry festival every year," Booth said.

"I am glad we came," Zack said. "I was not sure that I would enjoy being out here. Even after seeing the house, I wasn't sure. But it has been really nice."

Booth scooted a bit closer to Zack and put his arm around him and the younger man let his head fall to Booth's shoulder. "I'm glad you like it." He bent his head and placed a small kiss on the top of Zack's head. It was the first kiss since the wedding and it was certainly not sexual in any way, but there was still some of that same electric energy.

Zack lifted his head and looked into Booth's eyes. Booth leaned forward and let the magnetic pull have them as their lips met once again. This time there was no one around to interrupt and the simple meeting of lips slowly morphed into something more. Booth needed to taste Zack's lips and let his tongue just caress and then retreat. He tasted sweet, like the apple juice he had drunk not long before and he tasted of the chlorinated water all around them. And he tasted of something indefinable that Booth could only call Zack. And then Zack mimicked Booth's taste and Booth knew that this kiss was going to take on a life of its own. Booth let his mouth open and met Zack's questing tongue. It was new and it was hot and it was…like nothing either man had experienced before.

And when Booth thought he couldn't last another second without taking a breath, he finally pulled back and let the kiss end. They each took deep gulping breaths and Zack laid his head back on Booth's shoulder. They were both aroused, and yet neither man was ready to do anything about that. In fact, neither man wanted to rush into something that had the potential to change everything. So they simply let the water and the starry sky wash away their apprehension and enjoyed just being together.

When they went to bed that night and curled up together the way they had every night since moving in together, something had changed. But it was still too new, too fragile, too scary to talk about or even acknowledge to themselves.

**BZBZBZBZBZ**

Back in Washington, the two men fell into an easy and comfortable routine. Every morning, they got up and worked out in the exercise room together. Then Zack would take the first shower while Booth finished his longer weight routine. By the time he was finished, Booth was back and ready to hop into the huge steam shower and Zack would start dressing. Then while Booth dressed, Zack would head to the kitchen to put together lunch for each of them. Booth had convinced Zack to break his macaroni and cheese everyday habit and he was now bringing sandwiches some days, leftovers others. And one day a week, he had macaroni and cheese. Booth preferred the sandwiches and leftovers, so he got that everyday, unless he was in the middle of a case. And one day a week, they would plan to meet for lunch.

Booth would come down and they would eat a quick breakfast together before heading off to work. Booth dropped Zack off and then head to the Hoover building. After work, they would either eat out, pick something up to eat at home, or Booth would cook. When Booth cooked, he usually tried to get Zack to help so that he could learn. Gradually, Booth was introducing Zack to all kinds of new foods. After dinner, they would sit in the private family room and watch television. Or Booth would watch television while Zack read a book. But they sat together the whole time and Booth was slowly teaching Zack about baseball.

The weekends were less regimented. Most Saturdays they tried to find something fun to do with Parker. Sometimes they went to a museum, sometimes they went to the park. It was all very simple and easy. Zack discovered that he really loved spending time with Parker. He was such a bright and inquisitive little boy.

Sundays were more relaxed. Most Sunday mornings, they spent reading the newspaper in bed. Booth would do the crossword puzzle and if he ever got stuck, Zack always seemed to have the answer in his photographic memory. Then they would sometimes go out in the afternoon and sometimes stay home. Sometimes they would visit with Hodgins and Angela. Sometimes Bones would come over.

Then, two months after they were married, they got their first surprise visit from the lawyers' representative. It was on one of those lazy Sunday mornings, while the two men were still eating the bagels and fresh strawberries Mrs. Norris had left for them. The doorbell sounded and they looked at each other.

"I'm not expecting anyone," Booth said. "Probably a girl scout selling cookies or something. Stay here. I'll be right back."

He pulled on a pair of sweat pants and headed down the stairs. A few minutes later, he returned and there was a strange man with him. "Zack, this is Tyler. The lawyers sent him."

"Oh." Zack, who was still only wearing his boxer shorts, was a bit nonplussed about how to handle the situation.

"I am sorry to interrupt your breakfast," Tyler said. "It is unfortunate that I cannot announce my intention to visit ahead of time. I will take a quick look around the house and give the two of you some privacy to get dressed."

"Thank you," Zack murmured and watched the man leave and then Booth closed the door behind him.

"I'm sorry," Booth said. "He insisted he come up with me."

Zack shrugged. "It was a little awkward, but I survived. We should get dressed as he suggested."

They rushed through their showers and were soon dressed and ready to face the inspector. They walked down, hand in hand, and found him in the kitchen looking through their refrigerator.

"There you are," Tyler said with a smile. "Well now, if we can get started. I'd like to speak with each of you alone first and then I'll speak to the two of you together. Mr. Addy, why don't we go to the library where we can have a bit of privacy?"

Zack gave Booth a nervous glance and the taller man leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Don't be nervous. Just tell the truth. We have nothing to hide."

Zack nodded and followed Tyler out of the room and down the hall to the library. He glanced back at Booth one last time before shutting the library doors behind them.


	7. Part Seven

**Part Seven**

"Don't look so frightened," Tyler laughed once he saw that Zack had not yet moved away from the door. He was fiddling with a digital voice recorder and finally set it on the table in front of him. "I'm not here to interrogate you."

Zack came over to the club chairs and sat across from the investigator. "Then why are you here?"

"To talk," Tyler said. "To find out why you agreed to marry a man when you have never even dated a man before. To find out what you think of what has happened so far."

"I see," Zack said. He was still very wary of this man who could very well hold Booth's fortune in his hands. "Where would you like to begin?"

"Let's start with why you agreed to marry Seeley," Tyler said.

Zack blinked at him. "We were friends. He needed someone to help him comply with his aunt's wishes. Seeley had asked all of his female friends and none of them could help, so I suggested he look at a man instead. He asked if I was volunteering and I said yes."

"And the money?" Tyler asked. "What role did that play in your decision?"

"Seeley wishes to have a better future for his son," Zack said. "That is why he is doing this and that is why I agreed. Parker is a very bright and lovable boy. And Seeley desperately wants to give him the best that he can. I respect that about Seeley."

"So you didn't marry him to get a portion of the money?" Tyler asked somewhat skeptically.

Zack shook his head. "Money doesn't really mean much to me. I have everything that I need. I have turned down positions making twice what I currently make. I do what I do because I want to do it. Whether it is my job or marrying Seeley. I have told Seeley that I will not ask for anything after the requirements are met."

"If that is true, that makes you a very unique person," Tyler said. "Though it does match what I have gathered from interviews with your employer and friends. What about the same sex issue?"

Zack shrugged. "As far as I am concerned there is no issue."

"It doesn't bother you that people think that you are gay?" Tyler asked.

"People thought that before I married Booth," Zack said. "I am not… a ladies' man. There have always been those who presume to know my sexual preferences based upon my stature or other external and corporeal characteristics. I find it fascinating, actually, because in reality, though sexuality is biologically driven and genetically determined, and it can fall anywhere on the Kinsey scale, the pressures of a hetero-normative society make self-awareness difficult at best, and at times impracticable. Perhaps I am homosexual and never developed sentience of those dormant feelings. Perhaps I am bisexual. Perhaps I am heterosexual who is amenable to supplementary sexual experiences. There is a wide spectrum of possibilities, certainly too many to allow ourselves to become bound by the inconsequential categorizations that society places upon us."

"I see," Tyler said, looking slightly shell-shocked. "Well, why don't you tell me a little about Seeley…?"

**BZBZBZBZBZ**

Seeley looked at Zack as he emerged from the library and approached him. He didn't seem too upset by the experience. He pulled the younger man into a hug and whispered in his ear, "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Zack said. He smiled up at Booth and then gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You were right. It was nothing to be nervous about."

Booth smiled at his husband and then stepped away. He found Tyler standing in the library door, observing their interaction. Booth walked past him into the library and sat in one of the club chairs and waited for Tyler to join him.

"So," Tyler said once he was seated.

"So," Booth repeated back at him.

Tyler chuckled. "I can tell this is going to be a fun interview."

"Never meant for it to be fun," Booth said. "What do you want to know?"

"Alright, we can get right to business," Tyler said. "Tell me why you agreed to marry Zack, despite the fact that he is a man."

"I wanted the money," Booth said. "And a little discomfort seemed to be a small price to pay when you look at the big picture."

"And what is the big picture?" Tyler asked.

"Parker," Booth said. "His future, he deserves to have the very best education available. And Pops. He needs a better rest home. He's not got long to live now, and he… he deserves something better."

"What about you?" Tyler asked. "Surely there's something you want for yourself from all this."

Booth sat back and thought about it. "Well, I wouldn't mind being able to buy box seats to a ball game every once in a while."

"A ball game? That's it?" Tyler asked.

Booth shrugged. "What else do I need? I have a place to live. I have a job I love that also provides me with transportation. I have friends and family… there's not a whole lot that money can buy that I need. For myself at least."

"You and Zack seem to agree about that," Tyler said with some astonishment. "Let's go back to your statement before. You said marrying a man was a small price to pay. What did you mean?"

Booth shrugged. "I just meant that as a man we have certain ideas about ourselves and our masculinity. The idea of marrying a man conflicts with many of those ideals. But in reality, those ideals are unrealistic and somewhat insulting to those who do not fit into the mold that the world has deemed to be straight male."

Tyler laughed. He picked up the recorder and played with it for a second. "I want to play you something and then tell me what you think."

He pressed play and Booth heard Zack's voice. "There have always been those who presume to know my sexual preferences based upon my stature or other external and corporeal characteristics. I find it fascinating, actually, because in reality, though sexuality is biologically driven and genetically determined, and it can fall anywhere on the Kinsey scale, the pressures of a hetero-normative society make self-awareness difficult at best, and at times impracticable. Perhaps I am homosexual and never developed sentience of those dormant feelings. Perhaps I am bisexual. Perhaps I am heterosexual who is amenable to supplementary sexual experiences. There is a wide spectrum of possibilities, certainly too many to allow ourselves to become bound by the inconsequential categorizations that society places upon us."

Tyler reset the recorder and asked, "What do you think about that?"

Booth grinned. "That's Zack alright. He always uses big words, especially when he's getting heated up or excited about something. But, from what I can gather, he was basically saying the same thing I was trying to say. We allow society to label us and we buy into those labels, but there is a world of possibilities outside of the restrictions we put on ourselves."

"You were raised Catholic," Tyler said. "How does that play into your feelings about Zack and this marriage? Would that change if you were actually in a love match?"

Booth sat up. "You're Protestant, aren't you?" Tyler nodded. "I can tell. Most Protestants think that there are only two types of Catholics: those who are utterly devout and buy into everything that the church dictates and those who only go to church twice a year just in case. Personally, I fall somewhere in between those two extremes. I have faith in God and I express that faith through my chosen church. I am not blind to the faults of the church, nor do I allow others to dictate my beliefs. It is my responsibility to learn and understand what my religion teaches and then accept the things I agree with and reject those things I believe to be wrong."

"And you believe the church's stance against homosexuality is wrong?" Tyler asked.

"I believe that love, in its purest incarnation, can never be wrong in the eyes of God," Booth said. "Whether that love is between a man and a woman, two women or two men."

"Thank you," Tyler said. "It's pretty apparent you have given this some consideration."

"I had a friend in college," Booth said quietly. "He was Catholic and he was gay. He killed himself out of the guilt he felt because his priest kept telling him he was going to hell for feeling the way he did."

Tyler nodded and was quiet for a moment before changing the subject. "Alright, something a little lighter. Tell me about Zack…"

**BZBZBZBZBZ**

"It was getting late, so I ordered lunch," Zack said when the two men finally emerged from the library. "It's in the breakfast room."

When they were all seated at the table, Zack began passing around the cartons of food. He'd ordered from the Italian place down the road and they had three types of pasta as well as Chicken parmesan to choose from. Booth got up to pour two glasses of wine and a glass of water for Zack.

"This is delicious," Tyler said. "Thank you Zack."

"All I did was make a phone call," Zack demurred. "I am not a cook, though Seeley is trying to teach me."

"I'm just glad you've started to eat something besides macaroni and cheese," Booth teased.

"Tell me about your wedding," Tyler said.

Booth looked at Zack and grinned. "We had macaroni and cheese at the reception."

" _Fancy_ macaroni and cheese," Zack agreed with a teasing smile.

"It was really nice," Booth told Tyler. "We had it at the botanical gardens and the cherry trees were in bloom. We'll have to show you the pictures after lunch."

"Your family didn't come," Tyler said to Zack. "Why?'

Zack, for the first time, wasn't comfortable answering that question.

"Zack has a huge family," Booth answered for him. "And they all live in Michigan. It would have been a lot of time and expense for them to come, especially at the last minute like that. So Zack discussed the nature of our arrangement with his mother and she decided that the family wouldn't come."

"You shared with her the information about the will?" Tyler asked Zack for clarification.

"Yes," Zack said and then glanced at Booth before turning his face back to his plate of food. "I do not believe it was the true reason she decided they shouldn't come."

"What?" Booth asked and took Zack's hand. "What do you mean? Why didn't you tell me this?"

"I didn't want to say anything because I didn't want to spoil things," Zack said. "I didn't want you to feel guilty or some other useless overreaction."

"Why do you think they refused to come?" Tyler asked.

"Because I was marrying a man," Zack said. "My mother is a very religious woman and belongs to a very conservative church. She would never say so outright, but I know that the idea of my marrying a man was distasteful to her. The fact that I told her it was not a traditional marriage did mitigate her reaction somewhat, but I believe that if I told her that it was real, she would likely disown me."

"Zack…"

Zack smiled sadly at Booth. "This is why I did not tell you. There is no reason for you to feel bad. I knew that this was a possibility before I ever suggested we get married."

Booth covered Zack's hand with his own and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I know how much you love your family, though, and I'm sorry."

"I love them," Zack said. "But I have no illusions that they are perfect. I have long been a stranger to them because I was different. There is no such thing as unconditional love in the Addy family."

Booth's heart was aching for his husband and he pulled the younger man into his arms, ignoring their guest momentarily. Zack did not cry. He showed very little emotion at all. The only real indication that he was upset was the fact that he was trembling. Once he had taken a few deep breaths and had time to recompose himself, Zack pulled away with a grateful smile.

"There is a reason I moved half way across the country from them," Zack said in a much lighter tone. "I may love my family, but that's easier to do at a distance."

Tyler smiled at the two men. "Are you two sure this is a marriage of convenience?"

"What do you mean?" Booth asked with a frown. He hadn't even noticed that he still had an arm wrapped around Zack's shoulder.

"Since I have arrived, I have observed you behaving in manners that are typically seen in newlyweds," Tyler said.

"That is the requirement of the will," Zack said.

"The requirement is to maintain a public veneer of a proper marriage," Tyler corrected. "We are not in public, and yet you two have not only supported each other emotionally through the interview process, you have physically comforted each other. You rarely go for more than a minute or two without touching each other whenever you are in the same room. The way you look at each other and talk to each other, the way you stand closer than is strictly necessary all lends itself more to a real relationship than this pretense."

Booth said nothing; he simply sat and brooded. Zack on the other hand tired to explain what neither of them really understood themselves. "It is only… we are friends… and…"

Tyler chuckled. "You do not have to justify yourselves to me—at least not about this—I just thought I'd point it out to you. Perhaps you stumbled onto something more than you were expecting when you got married. That doesn't have to be a bad thing. In fact it could be a very good thing from all I have observed today."


	8. Part Eight

**Part Eight**

Like the singular kiss in the hot tub and the kisses to the cheek and temple which were growing in frequency, the two did not discuss what Tyler had said to them about their relationship. That does not mean that they did not consider it in the days and weeks that followed. In fact, it was often on their minds when they curled up together in bed, or when they kissed cheeks before saying goodbye every morning. It was there like another person in the room every time they cuddled on the sofa in the evening.

They took Parker to the cabin in July and in August Bones left for her trip to Borneo. With her departure, suddenly the couple were working together as well as living together. Again, the transition went much smoother than anyone could have expected. Booth still didn't understand most of the jargon Zack used, but he got the job done and gave him the information he needed to solve the cases. He didn't bring Zack out into the field as a partner, but mostly because Zack just didn't want to do what Bones did. He was more interested in what he could do in the lab.

By the end of September, six months after their wedding, both men were quite comfortable with their shared life and happy to continue living in denial. But then their peaceful life of deliberate ignorance was disturbed by a simple biological function.

It is a fact of life that if a man does not consciously relieve his sexual tension on a regular basis, his subconscious and his body will act together to relieve that tension for him. After six months of denying that there was any sexual tension to relieve, both Zack and Booth were like ticking time bombs. It shouldn't have been a surprise that one morning Zack would wake from a very erotic dream to find himself thrusting his turgid cock into Booth's hip. It shouldn't have been a surprise that another morning Booth would roll them in his sleep so that he could cover Zack's body with his own and drive them both to the edge of orgasm. It shouldn't have been a surprise that these incidents continued to repeat themselves, but it was.

Each of these incidents was followed by an awkward morning and tense moments that both men wished to avoid if at all possible. Booth tried masturbating in the shower more frequently, until he was showering three times a day. Zack attempted to redirect his sexual energy into other physical outlets and began running longer periods on the treadmill each day. Neither approach worked. Finally, Zack sucked it up and asked Jack to drive him to a bookstore on their lunch break.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Jack said. "I mean, what's so urgent that you can't wait and have Booth take you?"

Zack flushed but chose not to answer. "It's personal."

"Uh huh," Jack said. When they arrived, he let Zack wander around seemingly aimlessly, but he followed the younger man with his eyes. Then Zack spotted whatever section he was looking for and headed there. Jack followed at a distance and lost him in the stacks for a few minutes. He eventually found him in the section on sex and sexuality. He had one book under his arm, presumably ready to buy, was looking at the back covers of two others and three books stacked on the shelf in front of him.

" _The Ultimate Guide to Anal Sex for Men_. _The Ins and Outs of Gay Sex: a Medical Handbook_. _Gay Sex: A Manual for Men Who Love Men_. _Sex, Orgasm, and the Mind of Clear Light: the 64 Acts of Gay Male Love_. _Men Loving Men: A Gay Sex Guide and Consciousness Book_." Jack sounded bewildered as he read the titles out loud. He took the book out from under Zack's arm and read that title as well. " _The Joy of Gay Sex_ …. Zack, why are you looking at gay sex manuals?"

Zack was red in the face and staring at his shoes. "Because."

"Have you and Booth…?"

"Had sex?" Zack asked looking up at Jack. "No we have not."

"But you want to," Jack said. It wasn't a question. He could see that it was true and not just because of the books.

Zack nodded. "I think he might too, but I don't know."

"You haven't talked about it?" Jack asked. Zack shook his head. Jack chuckled. "Well if he sees you reading one of these, I think he'll get the picture. Have you picked one out?"

"I think I will need more than one," Zack said. "This one is very good with the techniques and physical stimulation. This one has more about the emotional changes a relationship like this can bring. And I like that this one presents clear and scientifically accurate answers."

"So get all three," Jack said. Zack picked up the three he liked and set the others back in place on the shelf. "And you probably should get _The Joy of Gay Sex._ It's got to be the most popular for a reason."

"I'm ready to go then," Zack said. He went to the counter and paid for his purchases and met Jack at the front door to the store.

Zack spent any free moment he had that day reading through the first book, _The Ultimate Guide to Anal Sex for Men_. Angela and Cam both gave him odd looks, but neither of them commented on his choice of reading material. By the time Booth picked him up that evening, Zack was on the final chapter.

He finished the book while Booth was watching the first game of the World Series and set it aside to begin on _Men Loving Men: a Gay Sex Guide and Consciousness Book_. When they went up to bed that evening, Booth picked up the first book and took it with him.

Over the next few days, Zack read through all of the books he'd bought and then began practicing the techniques suggested in _The Ultimate Guide to Anal Sex for Men_. The author of that book strongly suggested that a novice should learn to relax the various anal muscles and attempt self-stimulation before attempting any sort of anal play with a partner. So Zack's showers became longer as he used digital stimulation when he masturbated.

The _Joy of Gay Sex_ described other means by which two men could please each other and after Booth finished the first book, he moved on to that one. The thing he realized as the read through both manuals was that the only person he could imagine trying any of this with was Zack. He also learned that many of his beliefs about gay sex and sexuality were completely wrong and that despite what he had said to Tyler about not buying into societal pressures, there were still many issues he needed to let go of.

In the meantime, however, he allowed his body to lead his brain where they needed to go. The next time Booth woke up to find Zack pressing his erection into his hip, rather than backing off, he rolled them so that he was atop Zack and pressed their cocks together as they rocked and frotted to mutual orgasms.

And still they did not discuss the changes in their relationship.

**BZBZBZBZBZ**

"How's it going in Borneo?" Booth asked over the static filled phone line. Bones was using a satellite phone and the reception was questionable at times.

"Very well," Bones said. "We have recovered the skeletons of more than fifty aboriginal people from what we believe to be an extinct tribe. Tell Zack that I have collected several teeth for him as well as samples from the native vegetation and wildlife."

"I'll tell him," Booth said.

"You didn't call to talk about skeletons, though," Bones said. "What's up?"

"I don't know," Booth said.

"Does this have to do with Zack?" Bones asked.

"Yeah," Booth said. "And… What am I thinking? I can't talk to you about this stuff."

"This stuff meaning sex?" Bones asked. "I have never understood your reluctance to discuss what is essentially a natural biological imperative. If you are having sexual feelings for Zack, there is nothing wrong with that."

"I know that," Booth said. He hesitated. "I've been reading a little about it."

"You bought books on the subject?" Bones asked. That certainly didn't sound like Booth.

"No, Zack did," Booth admitted. "I just borrowed them from him."

"So what is the problem? Obviously you are both looking to deepen your relationship by introducing a sexual component," Bones said reasonably.

"It's not the sex I'm worried about," Booth said. "It's the rest of it."

"I do not understand," Bones said.

"What happens later?" Booth asked. "In five months we're supposed to get a divorce. That was the agreement. I can't just ask him to change that now."

"Why not?" Bones asked. "Listen Booth it sounds to me like you just need to talk this over with him. Be honest. If he wants to deepen the relationship too, then you can move along together. If he does not, then you can work out exactly what you both want from the relationship and what you are willing to compromise on. Either way, you need to talk to him."

"But…!"

The static got worse for a moment and Bones came back on. "I have to go. Send my love to everyone!" And then the line went dead altogether.

Booth stared at his phone and sighed.

**BZBZBZBZBZ**

Zack sighed for the fifth time in as many minutes and Jack was beginning to take it personally. "Is there a problem? You've been moping and brooding all day and frankly it's getting tiresome."

"I…"

"Does this have anything to do with the books you bought a couple weeks ago?" Jack asked.

"Yes and no," Zack said. Jack looked at him and Zack sighed again. "Alright. I have read each of the books and have even begun practicing the exercises that are recommended. I am quite positive that I will enjoy penetra—"

"Stop right there!" Jack said and held up a hand to silence his friend. "While I am happy to advise you to the best of my ability on the intricacies of a relationship, I have no desire whatsoever to be privy to the details of you sex life. That includes solo or with a partner of either gender. No offense."

Zack blinked several times and then nodded slowly. "Alright. No details. Booth and I have engaged in certain acts of a physical nature but have yet to either… move to the next physical level or discuss the ramifications if we do so."

"In other words, you have fooled around but haven't fucked," Jack clarified. "And you're both too chicken to talk about it."

"Essentially."

"Zack, what exactly are you looking to take away from this?" Jack asked.

"I do not understand the question," Zack said.

"Do you love him?" Jack spelled out.

"I… believe I might," Zack faltered. "I… do not know."

"When this year is up, what do you want to happen?" Jack asked. "If you have sex, will you be prepared to just walk away?"

Zack looked at his feet and shook his head. "No," he whispered.

Jack put his hands on Zack's shoulders and the younger man looked into his eyes. "Then before you allow this to go any further, you need to talk to Booth and find out what his intentions are. He's probably just as confused by this as you are."

"Perhaps," Zack agreed. "He kissed me."

Jack chuckled. "Well I would think so."

"No, not while we were fooling around," Zack said. "We have not kissed then. That is more a physical release of pent up tensions."

Jack hopped up onto the lab table. "So when did he kiss you?"

"From the very beginning Seeley would touch me whenever possible," Zack said. "He would hold my hand or wrap an arm around my shoulder. Lately he has included kisses to the cheek or temple or the top of my head. He has only kissed my lips three times."

"And you remember each of them," Jack said with a small smile.

"Of course I do," Zack said. "The first was at our wedding ceremony. The second at the reception. Both of those kisses were extraordinary because of the inexplicable pull that the contact created between us. But it was the third kiss that makes me believe that maybe there is something worthwhile between us."

"Tell me," Jack said.

"It was on our first trip to the cabin, our honeymoon," Zack said. "On our last night there, we were in the hot tub and talking about what we were going to do when we went back with Parker and he pulled me closer and kissed my head and then he kissed my lips. And then he kissed me again only deeper. And it was…"

"Yeah," Jack said. "I get that. It was special."

Zack nodded. "But we… we never talked about it and we never did it again. At first I believed that it was an aberration, that there was no way that Seeley could be attracted to me. But that seemed wrong somehow. And now, there have been these… physical releases. And he read my books."

"With or without pictures," Jack said teasingly, but Zack missed the joke.

"One with and one without," Zack said.

Jack laughed. "Okay. Zack, the way you two act when you're together, even when you don't have to put on a show, makes me think that you aren't in this alone. But you need to talk to Booth about it. I would hate to see you get hurt by this."

"Me too."


	9. Part Nine

**Part Nine**

Booth picked Zack up after work that evening and they were both quiet for a while, neither talking about their respective day as they normally would do. Instead they drove in silence to Frangelica's. It was one of their favorite restaurants now and Booth thought the familiar and comfortable setting would make the discussion he wanted to have a little easier for both of them.

"Oh," Zack said when he saw where they were going. "I didn't know we were coming here."

"I just…" Booth sounded hesitant and unsure of himself and that surprised Zack. Booth cleared his throat as he parked the SUV and shut it off. "I wanted to talk and I thought this would be a good place to do that."

Zack nodded. "Okay."

They went inside and were soon seated. They didn't talk about anything important while they waited for their food. Instead they finally got around to talking about their days. When the food arrived, the waitress brought them an extra plate so they could split their meals. It had become almost a given that Zack and Booth would split their meals, so much so that even the waitress knew to bring the extra plate without them asking.

Once they had taken a few bites and had taken the edge off of their hunger, Booth set his knife and fork down for a moment and said, "I think we should talk about what we want out of this relationship. I know we had an agreement when began this, but I feel like maybe things have changed."

"I agree," Zack said. "Things have definitely changed."

"But have they changed enough to take this to the next level?" Booth asked.

Zack took a drink of is juice and wished for once that he could handle alcohol. It would be nice right then to have a little of the courage that alcohol could give. He decided to just plunge ahead. "I cannot have sex with you if there is no chance of this marriage being for more than just this year."

Booth blinked and smiled at Zack. "So you want this to last?"

Zack nodded. "I would like to at least try to make this a real marriage. If that is not what you want, I will understand—but if that is the case, I will not have sex with you."

"That certainly is setting your boundaries," Booth said and his smile got a little wider. "I didn't want to pressure you to make this more, but I really want to make this real as well."

"Really?" Zack asked.

"Yes," Booth said and his smile faded as he got completely serious. "I think maybe I'm falling in love with you."

Zack sighed happily. "Oh, that's good." He saw Booth's expectant face fall a little and hastened to add. "It's good because I believe I may be falling in love with you as well."

Booth let out the breath he had been holding. "Okay. Good. We can work with this."

For the rest of dinner they discussed work and other things of common interest, but stayed away from the subject of their relationship. Things were more comfortable between them now that they had made a decision, and yet the sexual tension was still there, lying in wait just below the surface.

Once back in their bedroom at the brownstone, things suddenly became as awkward as they had been that first night. They both went through their nighttime routines silently and ended up on opposite sides of the bed again, just staring at each other.

"This is ridiculous," Booth muttered.

"I apologize," Zack said and though his tone was normal, Booth could see the hurt in his eyes.

"Not you," Booth said. "This…us. Why are we just standing here?"

Zack paused to consider the answer. "I am feeling rather nervous at the prospect of anal intercourse."

Booth chuckled and suddenly his tension was gone. He walked around the bed and pulled Zack into his arms. "Maybe this will help."

And then he kissed him. That spark of electric magnetism that always seemed to be there between them was back only this time there was no need to pull away. There was no one to interrupt them. There was nothing holding them back and before long they were flush against each other, their erections pressed together as they undulated in a delicious manner. And then they were naked and prone on the bed and Booth was above Zack and everything else—their nerves, the thoughts of tomorrow, the inheritance—disappeared.

Booth teased and tormented Zack, playing his body like a pro as he took his past experiences with women and combined those with the things he had read from Zack's books. And Zack, who had always been in his head during sex with the few women he had dated, analyzing every move and every sound, was simply lost in the sensations that Booth was able to create in him. And when Booth's fingers moved to prepare him, it all seemed so natural and right, like the logical next step in their inexorable dance. And when Booth finally—Finally!—penetrated Zack, it was the most perfect and right thing that either man had experienced.

Pleas for more and harder and cries to a god that Zack did not believe in fell from his lips as easily as the scientific data that he spouted on a daily basis. And Booth's normally reserved nature when it came to all things sexual seemed to fall away as he whispered both sweet and dirty things in Zack's ear. They found a rhythm that seemed to live just below their skin and moved in perfect time with each other as they thrust and moved and caressed and moaned and whimpered and clutched at each other until the inevitable moment of release found them and swept them away.

When the white lights stopped dancing before their eyes and they were at last able to calm their breathing, it was inevitable that they would end up curled together as they did every night. Only this time, there were no barriers between them. There was nothing to physically or emotionally separate them. They were one in the truest, most basic sense of the word and it was a good thing.

Both men drifted to sleep with a smile on their faces.

**BZBZBZBZBZ**

There were raised eyebrows when Zack spent the whole next day humming, but no one wanted to break the spell, so they just watched with indulgent smiles and let Zack carry on with his work. After a week of humming, Angela finally cornered the young scientist and forced him to spill. She was not really surprised, since Jack kept her up to date on the things Zack shared with him. Then again, she was surprised. She had never thought Booth would actually take that step.

Over the coming weeks, they found that Zack hummed almost every day. He was happy and satisfied and that sort of bliss could not be contained apparently. Seeing Booth and Zack being all cuddly and cute together became a regular occurrence whenever the team all went out together, though they kept things professional at the lab… mostly.

When Temperance Brennan returned, she had thought she was prepared for seeing the couple together, but she was wrong. The team threw a small welcome home party for her and Zack and Booth spent much of the night either touching or clinging to each other. And the happiness they shared was obvious. A small pang of something—jealousy, envy, regret?—shot through her heart at the sight, but she soon set that aside and allowed herself to be happy for them.

Soon after that, things seemed to settle back to normal. Brennan went with Booth on his cases and Zack took on more responsibility in the lab for the non-FBI work that they did. The married couple still had lunch together at least once a week and it was on one of these lunch dates that Booth admitted, "I actually kind of miss working with you."

Zack smiled. "I miss that as well, but I do not miss going to every crime scene."

Booth chuckled. "You always did prefer the lab."

"Mmm," Zack agreed. "Next week is our anniversary."

"Yeah," Booth said. They hadn't talked about the end of the agreement since the first night they had made love. "I don't want the divorce."

"Me neither," Zack said with a small grin. "I was considering the meeting with Tyler that is scheduled for next week."

Booth nodded. They hadn't spoken to Tyler since the interviews, but they knew he had been to the house a couple times as he would leave a note for them. "It's not just with Tyler. We have to meet with the estate lawyer, too."

Zack sighed. "I do not like the idea of discussing our relationship with strangers."

"Well, Tyler isn't exactly a stranger," Booth said. "And I doubt the lawyer will want many personal details. He'll probably rely on Tyler's word for most of it." Booth took Zack's hand and smiled. "Let's not think about that. What do you want to do to celebrate our anniversary?"

Zack looked surprised. "I had not considered that we would do anything. Is it expected that we celebrate arbitrary dates such as that?"

"It is," Booth chuckled. "We have the meeting on Friday afternoon. Why don't we plan a long weekend at the cabin after that? Just you and me."

"I would like that," Zack agreed.

**BZBZBZBZBZ**

Friday came and by that time Zack was feeling nervous once again. The couple had packed their bags and were ready to leave for the cabin directly after the meeting was over. Booth picked Zack up and they headed over to the lawyer's office. Booth noticed Zack's nervousness and took his hand.

"It's going to be fine," Booth said.

"I do not like lawyers," Zack admitted.

Booth chuckled. "No one does."

They arrived and were shown into a small conference room where Tyler was waiting for them. "Good to see you both again." He noted the way they were holing hands. "I see things are still going well between the two of you."

"Better than ever," Booth said with a smile.

"That's great," Tyler said. "Have a seat. Today's interview will be a little less formal and we can all stay together. Jim, the estate lawyer, will join us in about half an hour."

"Okay," Booth said as they took their seats across from Tyler.

Tyler offered them water or coffee, which both men declined, before getting down to the real reason for the meeting. "Tell me what's been happening with the two of you?"

"We have sex," Zack said. "Quite often and it is very satisfying."

Booth blushed and shook his head with fond exasperation. "I'm not sure he needed to know that Zack."

"But that is the biggest change since we last met with Tyler," Zack pointed out reasonably.

Tyler chuckled. "So does that mean you want to continue your relationship after today?"

"We are not getting a divorce," Zack stated.

"Surprisingly, this works for us," Booth said. "Despite all of our differences, despite the fact that we're both men, it just works. And… I love Zack."

"You do?" Zack asked with wide eyes.

"I do," Booth said and for a moment it was like they were alone in the room. "I have for a while I just… I'm not good with saying things like that."

"I love you too," Zack blurted out and then flushed.

Tyler smiled and watched them exchange a brief but heartfelt kiss before regaining their attention by clearing his throat. "So, if you aren't getting a divorce, what are your plans?"

"We're going to the cabin this weekend to celebrate our anniversary," Zack said.

"Sounds fun," Tyler said. "But I was thinking more long term?"

"We haven't really talked about long term plans," Booth said.

"I think we should renovate the townhouse," Zack said.

"You do?" Booth asked.

Zack nodded. "The entire first floor is completely useless to us the way it is right now. It is too formal for the way we live. And having to go from the second or third floor to the front door takes too long."

"We can discuss it," Booth said easily. He didn't really mind changing the house.

"You could always sell the brownstone and buy a place that is more suited to your needs," Tyler suggested.

"Maybe a place with a yard," Zack said thoughtfully. "We could get a dog then. Parker is always asking for a dog."

"We'll talk about it," Booth promised. He was happy that Zack was thinking about ways to make Parker happy.

"Every boy should have a dog," Zack pouted before letting the subject drop.

"Last time we met, you said that you were concerned about Parker's education," Tyler said. "Have you made any changes in anticipation of the inheritance?"

Booth nodded. "Without rent to pay, we've been able to save up enough money to pay the deposit on tuition at one of the better private schools in town. Parker will start kindergarten there this fall. And Pops is set to move to the new assisted living facility in a couple weeks."

The rest of the conversation went well, and before they knew it, Jim Abrams was entering the office with a paralegal, ready to go over the specifics of the inheritance. The first few minutes were filled with legal jargon that neither Booth nor Zack followed completely.

"Now, you neglected to sign a prenuptial agreement prior to the marriage, so you'll need to discuss a fair distribution of assets with your respective divorce lawyers. In order to facilitate that, I have taken the liberty of drawing up a complete listing of assets from the will."

"We won't need them," Booth said. "We decided to stay married."

This brought the lawyer up short. He looked at Booth and Zack and then at Tyler. "Is this true?"

"It is, Jim," Tyler said. "I can confirm both through my talks with Agent Booth and Mr. Addy, their friends and colleagues, as well as through my investigations that they have indeed discovered a love match."

Jim sat back in his seat and smiled. "Well, then. This changes everything."

"What do you mean?" Booth asked with a frown.

"He means that Esmie thought that you needed to find love," Tyler supplied. "And so she put the stipulation about marriage into the will. She also believed that you, Agent Booth, might just fall in love if you were made to spend enough time with the right person. Anyone who would agree to marry you for a year must either be a gold digger or a very good friend. So, she added a codicil to the will. If you ended up with a gold digger, you would only get what was promised. But if you found love…"

"Let's just say that the ten million is barely a drop in the bucket of what the full inheritance entails," Jim said. "Congratulations."

Booth wasn't sure if he was congratulating him on finding love or getting the heftier inheritance, but it didn't really matter. When Jim began going over the details of the revised inheritance, Booth was in too much shock to really think clearly anyway.

**BZBZBZBZBZ**

"I thought you guys were leaving for West Virginia right after the meeting at the lawyers," Bones said with a frown when Booth and Zack wandered into the lab later that afternoon.

"We were," Zack said. "But there was a slight change of plans."

"What happened?" Jack asked. "They didn't deny you the money, did they?"

"No," Booth said with a small dazed smile. "Not at all."

"So what happened?" Angela demanded.

"Aunt Esmie was a bit of a romantic at heart," Booth said. "And she decided to play matchmaker through her will. If I fell in love with and decided to stay with my chosen spouse, the inheritance changed as a reward."

"So? How much are we talking about?" Cam asked.

"More than 800 million," Zack said. "A lot of that money is tied up in investments. There was also more property: a house in Italy and one in London, as well as a small private island in the Florida Keys."

Jack laughed. "You're going to be getting calls from all the local charities soon. Welcome to the world of the insanely rich."

"I still can't believe it," Booth said. "Our annual income from investments will be more than the ten million I originally thought I was getting. I could pay for Pops to have his own staff of nurses. Or build him a retirement home. And Parker…"

"Congratulations," Cam said and soon everyone was wishing them well.

**BZBZBZBZBZ**

Later that evening, after finally making it to the cabin and making love for what seemed like days, the couple was lying in bed together, watching the starry sky reflected on the glassy lake through the open bedroom windows.

"No matter how much money Aunt Esmie gave us, that's not what I'm most grateful for," Booth said.

"No?" Zack asked tiredly.

"No." Booth said as he pulled Zack a little closer. "The money is great, but you are the best gift Aunt Esmie ever gave me."

Zack lifted his head a little to look at his husband in the eye. "Your aunt was not the only romantic in the family."

Booth chuckled and kissed Zack lightly. "I guess not."

"So, about that dog for Parker…"

Booth laughed for real this time. "Just admit that you want the dog for yourself and we'll start looking tomorrow."

Zack was silent for a moment but then mumbled, "I always wanted a dog but my mother was allergic."

"So we'll get a dog," Booth said and kissed Zack's temple. "What about the house? Do you want to renovate or sell?"

Zack hesitated. "There are some really nice houses near Jack and Angela. And then we could have a yard for the dog and for Parker to play in. Maybe even a pool."

"Good," Booth said. "We'll start looking next week."

They were both quiet for a time. "Seeley?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"And I'm glad I decided to marry you."

"Me too, Zack. Me too."

**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, that's the end of another tale. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks to all who read the story and a huge thanks for the lovely few who reviewed. See you next time! Jules


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